Hematocrit and plasma osmolality values of young-of-year shortnose sturgeon following acute exposures to combinations of salinity and temperature

Abstract

Little is known about the physiological capabilities of young-of-year (YOY) shortnose sturgeon. In this study, plasma osmolality and hematocrit values were measured for YOY shortnose sturgeon following 48-h exposures to 12 different combinations of salinity and temperature. Hematocrit levels varied significantly with temperature and age, and plasma osmolalities varied significantly with salinity and age. Plasma osmolality and hematocrit values were similar to previously published values for other sturgeons of similar age and size in similar treatment conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Kent Ware of the Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery (USFWS) for supplying the shortnose sturgeon for these experiments. We also thank Vincent Mudrak, Carlos Echevarria, Bill Wayman, and Brian Hickson of the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center (USFWS) for providing the facilities and technical support for the research. Dustin Haskins, Megan Hill, and J. Tavis Mclean assisted in culturing fish and conducting the experiments. This research was authorized under Endangered Species Permit 1261 that was issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Research was also authorized by the University of Georgia Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, number A2006-10039-0. Drs. Cecil Jennings and Douglas Peterson provided funding and reviewed the manuscript. Additional funding was provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.